Wadi Hayl is a seasonal watercourse in the
Hajar Mountains of
Fujairah
Fujairah City () is the capital of the emirate of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates. It is the List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, seventh-largest city in UAE, located on the Gulf of Oman (part of the Indian Ocean). It is the only Em ...
, in the
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a Federal monarchy, federal elective monarchy made up of Emirates of the United Arab E ...
. The
wadi
Wadi ( ; ) is a river valley or a wet (ephemerality, ephemeral) Stream bed, riverbed that contains water only when heavy rain occurs. Wadis are located on gently sloping, nearly flat parts of deserts; commonly they begin on the distal portion ...
runs from the Fujairah industrial suburb of
Al Hayl through the old (now restored) village of
Hayl and
Hayl Fort, to reach the
Wadi Helo.
Extent
The Fujairah end of the Wadi Hayl is home to the Mohammed bin Zayed City, a planned settlement intended to comprise 1,100 houses and apartments, as well as offering services. The wadi extends Westward from Fujairah and into the mountains, eventually meeting the Wadi Helo and Wadi Al Saifiyah, which itself leads to the
Wadi Saham, notable for its extensive
petroglyph
A petroglyph is an image created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, or abrading, as a form of rock art. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions ...
s, and the Wadi Miduk.
The Wadi Hayl is dammed above the new village of Hayl, which was built to rehouse the residents of the old village of Hayl. An
Umm Al Nar tomb was found at Hayl, as well as a number of
Iron Age
The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...
petroglyphs dotting stones throughout the course of the wadi.
Traditionally a
Kunud village, Hayl – and the nearby
Sharjah
Sharjah (; ', Gulf Arabic: ''aš-Šārja'') is the List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, third-most populous city in the United Arab Emirates, after Dubai and Abu Dhabi. It is the capital of the Emirate of Sharjah and forms part of the D ...
village of
Al Helo – subsisted on agriculture, particularly tobacco,
which provided a lucrative crop for the villagers. Before the construction of the metalled road from Fujairah, the journey from Hayl to the city would take three hours by donkey.
Built in 1932 by Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamdan Al Sharqi, the Fort at Hayl was constructed in 1932, along with a majlis and mosque. Often incorrectly referred to as a summer house, the Fort was in fact the principal residence for Sheikh Abdullah for over two decades.
See also
*
List of wadis of the United Arab Emirates
References
Wadis of United Arab Emirates
Populated places in the Emirate of Fujairah
{{UnitedArabEmirates-geo-stub